It’s all in the Soil

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States of America, knew the importance of soil declaring that “the nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself”.

We give little thought the ground beneath our feet, to the soil in our gardens, our parks and so on. And yet, without soil, our planet would not exist.

The Importance of Soil

Soil packed with nutrients is the very thing that every plant, from pretty blooms to crops, need to grow. Soil takes a lifetime for the earth to create, yet it can be destroyed in minutes.

As well as organic matter, there are all kinds of insects and bugs that live in the soil that are an important part of making it a rich material, perfect for growing and nurturing plant life.

These tiny creatures constantly move and mix the soil so that nutrients are constantly mixed in to different layers of the soil.

But for this to happen, there are two things that soil need to be fertile;

Water

Air

Without these two elements, the soil does not the ideal conditions needed for nutrients and minerals, and neither is it a great place for worms, moles and other creatures to live.

Why we need healthy soil

Soil is essential for life on earth, and not just plants but creatures of all kinds, including us humans. This is because we rely on fertile, rich soil in which to grow crops and other stuffs used in making things, such as clothing. Without soil, we have no food. Nothing.

And with food production coming under more pressure to keep up with demand, it may be that we are not looking after the soil as well as we should.

Different soils

Not all soil is the same and this is because in different parts of the country, and the world, the conditions in which the soil is made by the earth, is different.

Soil is made over millennia from detritus on the earth’s surface such as bedrock being weathered down in smaller pieces. Over time, this breaks down into tiny pieces, clumping together into a material we know as soil.

In some areas, soil is acidic, in others alkaline. Some soil is sandy, other soil in parts of the country is heavy and dense. It all depends on the type of rock.